Car-brake-operating mechanism



I March 18 1924.

W. D. BREWSTER CAR BRAKE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed July 18. 1923 4 VVNTOR firrox-wvsy H Ill/r/I/l/ lulnl I WILLIAM D. BREWSTER, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL BRAKE COMPANY, INC., OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CAR-BRAKE-QPERATING rmcnnmsm Application filed July 18,

drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a hand operated brake mechanism adapted to be used more particularly on the upright end walls of box cars with the hand Wheel or other operating member at the outside or at the inside of said wall. a

The main object is to inclose the major portion of the mechanism within the wall leaving only the operating member exposed and thereby to protect such mechanism against accumulations of snow, ice and other foreign matter which might interfere with its free 0 eration.

Another ob ect is to provide external means for forcingthe holding pawl or detent to and from its holding osition, and to rovide said means with suitable indicia to indicate the position of the pawl.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the device will be broughtout in the following description.

In the drawings, 1

Figure 1 is an end face view, partly in section,.of a brake mechanism embodying the various features of my invention exclusive of the wall in which it is placed.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same device taken on line 22, Figure 1, showin the inner and outer sides of the end w'al of a car in which the major portion of the mechanism is inclosed. Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken in the plane of line 33, Figure 2, showing more particularly the operation of the holding pawl or detent.

As illustrated, this device comprises a main supporting frame consisting of inner and outer upright bars -1 and 2' held in spaced relation throughout the ma'or portions of their lengths by lower an upper "cross bars ,-3- and -4- which may; be

'cast integral with the side bars 1 and, 2- to form an openframe of relatively. light but strong and durable construction --and of substantially uniform horizontal ,similar to that shown at 1923; Serial No. 652,283.

registering openings in the frame and end wall of the car.

The upper portion of the frame is provided with opposite laterally extending lugs or ears -6 for receiving similar clamping bolts which are passed through the frame and end wall of the car in a manner the lower end of the frame.

An operating shaft 8 is journaled in suitable bearings 9- in the opposite upright bars l. and 2 in approximately the same horizontal plane as the clamping bolts'7 and has one end provided with a nut -10 and washer 11 for holding it against endwise displacement in one direction, the nut -10 being adapted to abut against the inner face of the adjacent sides to hold the shaft against movement in the opposite direction.

The other end of the shaft extends some distance beyond the adjacent wall and is provided with a hand wheel 12 secured thereto by a key 13' and nut -14. to firmly lock the wheel to the shaft.

A pinion -15- is keyed or otherwise secured to the intermediate portion of the shaft 8 between the upright bars '1 and 2- and meshes with a relatively larger underlying gear -16 which is journaled on the intermediate portion of a supporting pin -17' having its end secured in suitable openings in the opposite bars 1 and -2.

A pinion 18-- is also mounted upon the cross pin 17 at one end of the gear 16and preferably integral therewith and meshes with a relatively larger gear which is journaled on a supporting pin 20 having its ends secured in suitable openings in, the opposite bars 1 and -2, as shown in Figure 2. r

A sprocket wheel -21 is revolubly I mounted on the spindle -20-* at one end of the: gear ,19 and preferably inte ral therewith so that both may rotate toget er, said sprocket wheel bein of relatively small diameter as compared with that of the gears A sprocket chain 22- is attached at one end by a pivotal bolt 23- to the lower end of the frame below the bolt 5 and has its intermediate portion riding over and upon the sprocket wheel 21 and its other end adapted to beconnected in any well known manner to the brake shoes of the car not shown, whereby the rotation of the sprocket wheel in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1 will cause the application of the brake shoes to the wheels of the cars, while the reverse movement of the sprocket wheel will relax the brake shoes.

The ratio of the gears l5, 16, 18 and 19 and sprocket wheel -2 is such as to cause the brakes to be applied with considerable force by the application of a relatively small amount of power to the hand wheel 12.

A holding pawl or detent -24 is keyed 'teeth of the gear ,16, one end of the sleeve being provided with an annular flange 26 abutting against the outer face of the adjacent bar 2. A bolt 27 is passed through the sleev to hold it in place and has its end adjacent the flange -26 reduced for receiving one end of a radially extending arm 28 having its other end weighted at 29 and Iip yided with'the indicia words On and The flange 26 is provided with stop shoulders 30 at opposite sides of its axis of movement and in the path of movement of the arm 28 so that when the arm is rocked into engagement with one of said stops, its weight will rock the sleeve,

25- in one direction to cause the pawl 24- to engage the teeth of the gear 16-, for locking the gears against rotation, in which position, the word On will appear at the top of the weighted member 29.

On the other hand, by rocking the arm 28 from that position through an arc of approximately 180, its weighted member will engage the other stop 30 and thereby rock the sleeve 25 to force the pawl 2-i out of engagement with the teeth of the gear -16 and in this position, the word Ofi will appear at the top of the wei hted member 29-.

T e weighted pawl operating member fore within the wall A, the same, being also true of the sprocket chain -22*except that portion which extends below the bottom of the car for connection with the shoes.

When thepawl 24- is released, the hand wheel 12- and the several gears together with the sprocket wheel 21 may be rotated in either direction to impart the desired tightening or loosening movement of the chain 22 and when the brakes are set by the proper operation of the hand Wheel, 12, the operating mechanism may be set or held in their adjusted positions by the engagement of the pawl -24- with the teeth of the gear 16.

The position of the pawl may be varied by throwing the weighted arm'28 against one or the other of the lugs 30-- to impart a sufiicient rocking movement to the sleeve 25 to throw thepawl to and from its locking position, as indicated by the indicia on the weighted member -29.

The term box car herein referred to is used in its broadest sense to include any car having upright end walls within or upon which the mechanism forming the subject matter of my present application is mounted in such manner that the slack of the brake operating chain is free to rise and fall as the brake is tightened and loosened by the operation of the sprocket wheel which supports the chain.

I claim:

1. In a brake operating mechanism for box cars, in combination with one of the end walls of the car, an upright frame secured to and between the inner and outer sides of said wall, a sprocket wheel journaled in said frame, an operating shaft journaled in the frame above the sprocket wheel and provided with a hand wheel, a sprocket chain passed over the sprocket wheel and having one end attached to the lower portion of the frame and its other end adapted to be connected to a brake mechanism, means for transmitting rotary motion from the operating shaft to the sprocket wheel, and means including a pawl 1 for cooperating with a part of the last named means for holding the operating shaft against rotation.

2. A brake operating mechanism, as in claim 1, in which means is provided operable at will for shifting the pawl to and from its holding position.

3.- A brake operating mechanism, as in claim 1, in which the pawl is mounted upon a rocking member having stop shoulders at opposite sides of its axis of movement, and In Witness whereof I have hereunto set a Weighted member movable at will irate and my hand this 2nd day of July 1923. out 0 en a ement with either 0 sai stops 1 1 for rockiiig the pawl to and from its hold- WILLIAM BRLWWS'lER' ing yosition, said Weighted member being Witnesses:

provided with indicia to indicate the posi- H. E. CHASE tion of the pawl. RITA GAMPOLIETO. 

